Published: 26 July, 2012
by STEVE BARNETT

HAMPSTEAD players must have been wishing it had rained on Saturday after slumping to an eight-wicket defeat against league leaders Winchmore Hill at Lymington Road.

Despite boasting home advantage Hampstead made a disastrous start with opener Steve Clark being dismissed with the first ball.

It didn’t get much better for the hosts with Ed Jones, Mark Divin, Mubasher Hassan, Matt Kabir Floyd and Hanish Patel all losing their wickets without denting the score as Hampstead were left reeling on 40-6.

Raoul Colvile was the only batsman to offer any meaningful resistance with 28 not out. But without any real support he couldn’t prevent Hampstead from being bowled out for 100 in the 40th over.

Winchmore Hill came out all guns blazing with openers Scott Newman and David Alleyne sharing a 77-run partnership.

Zak Khan removed both openers courtesy of catches from Colvile to claim figures of 7-2 and in doing so save Hampstead the blushes of a
10-wicket defeat.

But with Newman and Alleyne scoring 42 and 35 runs respectively the damage had already been done as Winchmore Hill sailed to their winning score of 101-2 within 15 overs.